A battery cell has been proposed as a clean, efficient and environmentally responsible power source for electric vehicles and various other applications. One type of battery cell is known as the lithium-ion battery. The lithium-ion battery is rechargeable and can be formed into a wide variety of shapes and sizes so as to efficiently fill available space in electric vehicles.
A plurality of the battery cells can be provided in a battery cell pack or module to provide an amount of power sufficient to operate electric vehicles. Known battery cells such as lithium-ion battery cells have generally been provided as individual battery cells. The individual battery cells are typically arranged in a stack, and have electrical tabs that are connected to an electrical systems such as an interconnect board for provision of electrical power to a load, and for charging and discharging of the battery cells.
Cooling systems are typically employed with battery cells to militate against undesirable overheating conditions. Conventional cooling systems have included cooling plates disposed between individual battery cells within the stack. The cooling plates have had channels through which cooling fluid or air is circulated in order to regulate the temperature of the battery cells in operation. The assembling of battery cells together with electrical systems and cooling systems in a battery power system is known to be a time consuming and laborious manufacturing process.
There is a continuing need for a battery cell assembly that has a minimized number of parts, and which provides a simplified method of manufacture for a battery power system.